Natasha's POV

My body was cold against the hard table. I felt dizzy and weak. I could barley move. I was so weak that they didn't even need to tie me to the table anymore. I couldn't escape even if I wanted too. That made them angry.

"Stand!" He screamed, but I couldn't move. He took a hard grip around my arms and pulled me to my feet. I fell to the floor before he even blinked.

"Natalia! Stand!" He screamed again. I didn't have the energy to even answer. I was going to pass out any minute now. He kicked my stomach and a pain found its was through my body. It hurt, but I had learned the pain. I knew how much it was going to hurt and how long it would last. It was like I barley felt it anymore, because I knew it so well. Then a kick landed yet again on my stomach and everything went black.

"Shoot him."

"He's just a boy." I said, my voice breaking.

"Why? Do you care?" He said taking my head in his hand. He squeezed hard.

"No." I said trying to keep my voice steady.

"Than do it."

A shot went of and the little boy fell to the ground, dead. Blood streamed out of his head and his baby blue eyes were wide open. They reminded me of Steve's. So innocent. His dead face was giving out his last feelings, fear.

"Natalia. Do not fight back. This is the right thing." He said while kissing my lips. Fear bubbled inside me. "You're mine." He stopped kissing me and touched my chin. "You will always be mine." He said while his hand went down my body. I couldn't move. I was too scared. Then he tried to take of my skirt and I made a stupid attempt to run. I hit him in the crouch and ran towards the door. He got to me of course. He wrapped his big arms around my tiny body. I was a pretty small nine year old. He threw me on the bed and got on top of me. I tried to scream but he held over my mouth. And even if someone heard me, no one would help. I didn't matter to anyone in the world.

"Natasha!!!" Steve screamed at me as my eyes opened. "Natash.."

Tears were burning down my chin. The pain was in my entire body and it felt like I was going to explode. Steve sat beside me on the bed and carefully wrapped his arms around me. I didn't obey. I relaxed a little in his arms but was quite of fear. Tears were still burning down my cheeks. I sat there in Steve's arms for almost a hour, staring straight forward. Trying to forget the things in my mind. Trying to push it all away.

"Nightmare?" Steve said after a while, with his sweetest most caring voice.,

"Memories." I said.

He nodded.

"Please." I said as I laid down. He laid beside me and wrapped his arms around me again. I pressed myself to his chest and his warmth calmed me a little. I felt a small kiss on my forehead and he pressed me a little closer. Like he was trying to protect me.

"Your not alone. Not ever." He said and then we both went quite. After a while, I actually fell asleep. And that was the first sleep in my life, that I didn't have a nightmare. I dreamed of nothing.

Steve's POV

I had been awake ever since I found Natasha on the balcony. I couldn't fall asleep in case she would dream again. I couldn't stand it. Her screams. They still eco inside my head. They got to my heart and it felt like it was ripped into two pieces. The way her body was trying to escape, like something held her down and she fought for her life. How she kept repeating "I'm alone", "Save me" and "I have no place in the world". Between that, her screams and cries was all that could be heard. Her expression when she realised she was dreaming. Her tears that fell down her cheeks in waterfalls. The way she said "memories". I don't know what she dreamt, but no one deserves to have memories with that amount of pain. I wish I could take away all the pain. Make her forget everything. At least for a while. The sun was soon rising and I had to wake Natasha. It hurt me to do it, she actually looked peaceful.

"Hey, Nat?" I said carefully.

She woke up slowly. Her eyes met mine and she smiled a little.

"Thank you." She said quiet.

"For what?"

"You made me forget for a while."

We got up and got ready for the mission. When I looked in my bag again I found her necklace. I'm such a fool for forgetting it.

"Natasha? I forgot to give you this."

She looked at me as I held up the necklace in front of her.

"Whe.. Where did you find that?" She asked carefully.

"You left it at my apartment." I said as I put it in her hand. She closed her fist.

"Thank you." She said.

"I gotta ask you something. Why did you tell me I wasn't alone last night?" She asked, not sure if she actually wanted to know.

"You kept screaming that you were alone and that no one would save you." I said, looking at her.

"I'm so sorry." She said, looking down in embarrassment.

I took a deep breath.

"It is not you fault. And you do have a place in this world."

The words made her still. She looked tense.

"Maybe." She whispered so quiet that it would have been impossible for a normal human being to hear. Luckily, I wasn't normal.